§ 71. Mr. Maginnisasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs will be created by the combined Royal Air Force and anticipated overseas sales of each of the contenders for the Royal Air Force basic trainer contract.
§ Mr. ButlerIt is not possible to give precise estimates for the number of jobs which would be likely to be created in connection with each of the four aircraft under consideration, taking into account prospects for overseas sales. However, in view of the fact that the bulk of the airframe and equipment work would fall to United Kingdom firms, regardless of which aircraft was chosen, the number of direct job opportunities would be substantial and run to some hundreds.
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§ Mr. Wilkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is in a position to announce his decision on the selection of the future Royal Air Force basic trainer; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButlerThe four competing tenders have been thoroughly evaluated by the Ministry of Defence. The evaluation has shown that two of the contenders have clear-cut advantages over the others in terms of cost and performance, which are the critical factors involved in the decision. I have therefore decided to invite best and final offers from British Aerospace and Shorts in order to clarify and amplify certain aspects of their present tenders, so that I may reach a final decision between the options, which still include the possibility of refurbishing the Jet Provost.